


I Thought You Were Gone

by Mini_Megido (Sweet_Spice_Sour_Sugar)



Category: Homestuck, Resurrection (US TV show)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family is important, Humanstuck, Sadstuck, Science, aradia dies, arasol is main red ship, but she comes back to life, droog is called Daniel Droog, happy endings :D, hence the storyline, might add more characters, pretty early on actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 09:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1977366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweet_Spice_Sour_Sugar/pseuds/Mini_Megido
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been a lovely day for an excavation, and an even lovelier day to run to Sollux’s house and tell him everything she had found at her site. With her bag slung over her shoulder and filled with her most prized possessions: a hat, her archaeology gear and all the things she had found today that she could fit in there, she began her long walk. She couldn’t wait until she could be able to attend college and study anthropology and history in order to be able to become the archaeologist she always wanted to be. Aradia was having a great day.</p><p>It was not a lovely day to have her blood spilt all over the tarmac.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! First fanfic! Enjoy!

It had been a lovely day for an excavation, and an even lovelier day to run to Sollux’s house and tell him everything she had found at her site. With her bag slung over her shoulder and filled with her most prized possessions: a hat, her archaeology gear and all the things she had found today that she could fit in there, she began her long walk. She couldn’t wait until she could be able to attend college and study anthropology and history in order to be able to become the archaeologist she always wanted to be. Aradia was having a great day.

It was not a lovely day to have her blood spilt all over the tarmac.

The car just came out of nowhere, and seemed to be speeding. When it hit her, she felt everything and nothing at the same time. She felt herself get thrown down the street at such a force that when her head hit the concrete she was already gone. The sickening thud was heard by all the passersby as they watched in vain, the young 17-year-old becoming a mixture of bone shards in a matter of seconds. Blood pooled under her head and matted her hair. Her usually bright brown eyes dull and glass-like. Many onlookers ran to her aid, with others attempting to revive her. It was too late.

She was already gone.

It had come as a shock to her father, Daniel Droogs who had been out of town the day of the accident. It had been an even bigger shock to her sister, Damara. They were heartbroken to see Aradia laid out on a metal table, the autopsies proving how quickly it would have been for her to die. She wouldn’t have survived. There had been no tears when her friends were informed of her fate, many of them opting to stay away until the funeral.

\---

The funeral wasn’t a happy affair. The pastor was talking on and on about how Aradia would be in the Lord’s grasp now, but no one was really listening. He didn’t really mind either. Damara was standing away from the crowd surrounding her sister’s coffin, thick tears making her makeup run down her cheeks messily, making her look like a clown. Her father was standing at the head of the coffin, his hat over his chest.

Aradia lay in the coffin below, her red lips twisted into a fake smile, her slender yet calloused hands clasped over a flower she didn’t even like. She had been turned into a doll, yet no one could help that. Her bones weren’t all together. Daniel Droog didn’t have the heart to have her cremated.

When the pastor had finally stopped speaking, Droog spoke up, his voice rough and tired. “I’m sure Aradia would have been happy to attend her own funeral, considering how much she really liked death.” A few choked laughs here and there, but mostly silence. “But I’m sure the poor girl would still be here in spirit. She could never stay away from the graveyard in her own morbid way.” He had wished there would be some laughter, any laughter to distract him from the ugly truth. His youngest daughter, with the morbid fascination with death and what comes after it, was now in death’s grasp itself. It was not a lovely day.

At the end of the service, the coffin was closed and lowered into the ground, and everyone said their goodbyes. The most heartfelt goodbye being one said by Aradia’s boyfriend, Sollux. Although Daniel and Sollux had never seen eye to eye, they both admitted that the sudden death of Aradia’s was something they could put their differences aside for. At the end of the day, Aradia’s grave was adorned with flowers and little Mexican Day of the Dead statues donated by her friend Tavros.

At the end of the day, the only person sitting there was Sollux, looking down on the grave and crying silent tears.

\---

Two years passed and life returned to normalcy. It’s never really easy to forget that someone you once loved is gone, but somehow most of the people in town managed to. Outside the town, however, in a meadow sprouting poppies, something unusual for the summer, a girl lay.

Two years later, Aradia Megido woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this isn't totally terrible. Leave some comments because that'd be totally helpful :D


	2. The Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this one is longer than the last chapter. Enjoy!!

A shaking, gasping breath was all it took and then Aradia Megido was awake. Her brown eyes flung open and she was staring at a blue sky. Her arms lay at her sides and her breathing was heavy and hard to grasp. After a moment, she closed her eyes and her mouth, breathing in deeply through her nose. It hurt to breathe for some reason, but soon it was gone, and she could open her eyes again.

Aradia Megido was having the strangest dream when she awoke. There were ghosts and there were horrible things, terrible things trying to draw her towards the light, but she felt that she shouldn’t go. There was something trying to draw her back, and she felt like it was a better opportunity to be drawn away from the light. And now she was awake. She felt like she had been sleeping forever! Why wasn’t she on her way to Sollux’s house like she had planned. That was the last thing she had remembered planning.

She sat up and rubbed her head, running her fingers through her matted hair in an attempt to tidy it, but gave up quickly. She must’ve been tired - why else would she make such a detour. When she stretched her arms, they felt heavy and hard to move, but soon she was able to swing them easily. Aradia stood up and stretched, smiling widely. The sun felt nice on her skin, but she felt slightly dizzy, as if her sinuses were blocked, but that almost immediately passed. She was still wearing her black skirt and her red blouse, although they seemed somewhat wet with dew. That couldn’t be right. She could only have been lying here a few hours.

She looked up at the sky, then towards town. She didn’t have her bag with her, which was odd. Aradia swore she had it only a few hours ago. Never mind that, she should probably get back home. Her sister would be worried. Sollux might be worried. She checked which way she needed to go, and started marching back to town in her black Vans.

When she found her way, she waved at passersby, some of them a little puzzled by this happy girl with leaves in her hair, wondering why she was there, and who she could be. Some of them swore it was that same girl from two years ago, but couldn’t quite tell if it is. Hopefully the same outcome won’t happen again.

As Aradia walked through the town, she felt a little confused. Shops that were there before were suddenly… Not there. As if they had fallen into bankruptcy in a few hours, which is almost impossible. Nonetheless, Aradia just kept walking, smiling at all the people that stared at her. It was kind of… Creepy really. As if they expected her to do something drastic and horrible.

Then she came across a street that felt… Strange. Every step she took made a flash of a scene appear in front of her eyes, and she had to hurry across the street to avoid being hit by a car. The sense of deja vu made her shudder, but as soon as she hit the pavement across the other side of the street, she felt okay. It was still a little weird though.

It almost only seemed like a hop, skip and a jump to the road she lived down, but some parts looked so different that she felt a little confused. That house next to the Pyropes was already completely built even though it had only been started yesterday. A tree that was a sapling that morning was now a lot bigger than before, and there were different cars in a few of the driveways. 

Aradia thought for a moment that maybe she had turned down the wrong street. She checked the sign again and frowned: Alternia Drive. That’s where she lives. 100 Alternia Drive. She continued her way down the street, examining everyone that wandered past. For a second there she thought she saw Feferi with… Sollux? And they were holding hands? And standing very close together? As if they were… They were dating? Aradia swore she felt her heart wrench and try and pull out of her mouth, so she hurried past them, ignoring their confused stares as they tried to keep their eyes on her. She almost wished that they would come and stop her, tell her that it wasn’t what they thought. But they didn’t.

Aradia had never thought that Sollux would be one to cheat on her. Maybe she had best talk to Damara about it. But it was all so odd. Just before she went to sleep, she had talked to Sollux. He had told her he loved her. Had he lied?

Now the tears were running down her cheeks. Aradia wanted it to be true, that Sollux did love her. But now it just seemed that he didn’t. Running down the street, unshed tears making it hard to see, she clambered down the path of her home, up to the door. She was glad that her father wasn’t home. He would have Sollux’s head on a platter when he finds out.

When she gets onto the porch, she pats her blouse, looking for pockets, then realized that her key had been in her now missing bag. Annoyed, she looked for the spare key in it’s usual place underneath the doormat, but was confused to see that it wasn’t there. Why would dad or Damara even move it when they know that Aradia tends to forget her key? This was ridiculous, and Aradia’s anger was getting the best of her and she couldn’t stand waiting out here any longer, not if Sollux and Feferi were still walking around, holding hands and maybe even kissing.

So finally, Aradia Megido knocked on the door.


	3. The (ex)Boyfriend and the Sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to choose between Sollux and Damara... So I did both.

The day started out rather normally for Sollux Captor. All he had to do was roll out of bed and get dressed. He threw on a simple shirt, a yellow gemini sign screen-printed on the front. He pulled on some stiff jeans and sauntered to his bathroom to stare at his face for a few moments. 

Despite his usual snarkiness and dislike for almost everyone around him, Sollux thought he was an okay guy. Sure, he stole his best friend’s best friend’s girl (on accident, he will admit) but honestly, he was an overall good guy. Sure, he had antidepressants to control the uncontrollable sadness he’s had welling inside himself for the past two years ever since the only girlfriend he ever loved died.

Sollux stood in front of his mirror, his hands on either side of the sink as he stared his heterochromic eyes (one blue, one brown) down, wishing his black hair would flatten down by itself. That sadness was welling up inside him yet again, so he swallowed harshly and squeezed his eyes shut, then reached for his antidepressants, taking one quickly. Once he felt calmer, he brushed his teeth and left the room to go to the kitchen, where his girlfriend was sitting.

Feferi Peixes smiled up at him from her seat at the table, her slender fingers curled around her coffee mug. Beside her sat another coffee mug, still hot and painted with little bees. Sollux smiled bravely at her and sat down, taking a sip of the coffee. Feferi took his hand and squeezed it, her brown skin standing out against his pale skin. She was always out in the sun while he was sitting in front of a monitor. They were so different.

Feferi leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, her red hair brushing his skin and tickling his neck. He couldn’t help but smile. She was always so gentle with him. It was amazing that she put up with his obvious pining for death’s number one fangirl, even after death had already claimed her.

Feferi’s hands took his face, and made him look at her, her green eyes worried and searching. How could she see it? How could she see the sadness behind his mask when he had already taken his medicine? Sollux would never really know how she does it, but sometimes he wished she didn’t. Aradia was like Feferi. She saw the sadness behind his mask.

The toaster pinged and Feferi got up. He was left staring at his coffee mug while she prepared his breakfast. Since when had he been so dependent on Feferi? Ever since his parents took his brother to Singapore for a holiday. He couldn’t help it.

Feferi sat down next to him, carefully placing honey covered toast in front of him. Almost mechanically, Sollux started to eat, not looking his beautiful girlfriend in her eyes. Soon, she had placed her cellphone between them.

“Sollux,” she mumbled quietly, “Karkat called this morning.”

“Uh, huh.” Sollux mumbled back, his mouth full of toast and honey goodness. “Why?”  
“Because… You do remember what day it is today, right?” She was looking at him with wide eyes, “it’s a really sad day today.”

“Is that so?” He didn’t mean to feel so indifferent today. It just felt right. It just felt like every other day.

“Karkat wanted to know what time you wanted to go to Aradia’s grave today.” Feferi whispered.

And just like that, Sollux stopped eating. The toast was halfway up to his mouth when she asked that. He couldn’t believe that Karkat remembered, but he didn’t. (Karkat’s infamous words about Aradia were: “she’s too fucking happy about death. It’s creepy and morbid and abnormal.”) It made him a little sad, annoyed and ashamed. Aradia was his ex-girlfriend. The least he could do was remember, after all, he was the last person to leave the cemetery that night.

He had hated her funeral, and knew that she would have hated it too. She looked like a doll, all blemishes removed and a fake smile plastered to her lips. It wasn’t right. Aradia loved the whole dirt part of archaeology, and no doubt she would have wanted the feel of dirt imprinted on her soul.

“I’ll be going later.” He sighed, finally answering Feferi’s question. “Around two pm. I don’t want to go earlier.”

“Oh, I can understand!” Feferi smiled cheerfully, “two’s your thing, all that stuff.”

It wasn’t only that. Okay, maybe it was. But it sort of also felt like it was right, because the day Aradia died, she was supposed to meet Sollux at his house at two o’clock. That never happened, for obvious reasons.

But Sollux didn’t tell Feferi any of that. “Yeah. It’s because of the twos.”

Feferi jumped up and stretched, already fully dressed. “Well, we had better go and get some flowers then! Two o’clock isn’t for another two hours but it’s not like that matters.”

That startled Sollux. It was already midday already? He must have gone to bed late to have slept that far into the day. Too busy dreaming about Aradia. He was definitely not going to tell Feferi any of those dreams. They would upset her too much to know that Sollux often dreamed about Aradia climbing through his bedroom windows wearing nothing but a bikini even though Aradia couldn’t even swim. She would sit on his lap and then…

That’s enough fantasising for one day. Sollux drew in a shaky breath and stood up next to Feferi, letting her lead him to the door, where she threw on a hat and linked her arm with his, grabbing her purse while he tried to put his mismatched shoes on single-handed. Soon, he was outside and hissing at the daylight that was already high in the sky. He held Feferi’s hand tight as he walked down the street towards the shops. Feferi was against using his car for what she called ‘short walks’ so they walked everywhere.

She was talking about something that Sollux didn’t think he actually cared about, so he didn’t listen. He let himself look around the street, towards Damara’s house where someone’s old, beat up car was sitting in the driveway. It was probably Kankri’s. He’s been spending a lot of time with Damara lately, believing she needed his help. He was amazed Damara hadn’t thrown him out yet, and swearing at him in her usual loud Japanese.

Sollux shook his head slowly and turned to look back towards the end of the street when he saw her.

No, he thought, it can’t be.

It had to be her because it was hard to forget her face, her curves that matched perfectly with his slender frame, her red lips and her brown eyes that stared at him confusedly. He tried to keep his eyes on her as he continued walking, but Feferi was pulling him along too quickly. Aradia turned away from him and started running down the street, far away from him, away from where ever she had come from.

Feferi stopped walking and took his hand, “Sollux, are you ocray?” She always said fish puns to bring him back, and he began to think that maybe Aradia wasn’t there, even though he could still see her. He must have been going crazy.

“FF, I think I might need to talk to KK.” He told her, letting her lead him down the street. Karkat would find this all a little too weird. “Then I’ll go to Aradia’s grave.” Hopefully the dead weren’t rising from their graves. That would kind of suck. Sollux hadn’t even finished his latest program he hoped to sell to some big corporation so he could stop living off Feferi’s money.

Sollux Captor looked back one last time at the end of the street so he could look at Aradia. She was gone.

\---

Kankri Vantas doesn’t shut up, and it annoys Damara a lot. He won’t leave, instead choosing to stand behind her while she tries to make them lunch. She can’t just throw out the one person that actually chooses to be around her though. Sometimes she thinks he’s attracted to her, but there’s no way that’s possible.

She hated how he literally closed his eyes while he talked, and he crossed his arms over his chest. His black hair flopped over his brow and was in a great mess. Even though his mouth moved at sixty miles an hour, Damara swore she wanted to kiss him just to shut him up.

He took away her cigarettes and her weed, and he was making her cook. She should just throw him out on his ass right now. She can’t even cook, so she threw together a strawberry jam sandwich and set it down in front of him. Kankri won’t even stop talking to eat. So annoying.

She ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room, refusing to continue acknowledging Kankri’s existence, sliding down the door and resting her head back. There was a mirror in front of her, and she could see up her skirt, but it’s not like she cared. She had bags under her brown eyes, and the roots of her brown hair was showing up through her blonde locks. Her red lipstick was smudged and she thought it looked horrible, but was too lazy to clean it up.

Kankri knocked on the door, whispering softly, “Damara, are you okay? I am sorry if what I said about attending your sister’s grave hurt you.” He turned the door handle and looked down at Damara with worried, red eyes, “are you going to go to Aradia’s grave today?”

She didn’t give him an answer. She just kept staring at the mirror, barely listening anyway. She saw his mouth move to say something more, but then there was a knock at the door and he turned to answer it, leaving her to her thoughts.

Two years since that car accident. Damara remembered that they had argued that morning. Over what, she couldn’t remember. There was no way she was going at the same time as everyone else. That would make everything awkward. None of her friends even liked her anyway. Why be around little nineteen-year-olds that hate you?

A moment later Kankri opened the door on her again, almost in a panic and hit her head. She glared up at him and hissed in angry Japanese, “why the fuck did you do that you fucking asshole?”

He seemed flustered, his cheeks red and his eyes wide, “my apologies, Damara, but I think you need to speak to the person at the door.”

She groaned loudly and jumped up, pushing past him and running down the stairs. “Why the fuck would someone bother me on a day like-”

She stopped at the foot of the stairs, staring straight at what should have been a ghost but so obviously wasn’t. It was like looking at a younger version of herself.

“...Aradia?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the next chapter will *actually* have Karkat, Terezi and Vriska.


	4. The Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was told to hurry up and write this... So here you go!

“What the fuck do you mean Aradia’s alive?” Karkat yelled into the phone, glaring at it as if he could kill it, or rather, Sollux on the other end. His white hair stood up as if he had been shocked and his red eyes glared where ever they had rested. Terezi wasn’t really listening to him, but Vriska was intrigued.

“Sollux, you’re being delusional, like always.” Karkat growled, glaring at Vriska whenever she dared come near the phone, “Terezi, get your psycho-bitch girlfriend away from me.”

She rolled her blue eyes and went to curl up next to Terezi, still listening in on Karkat’s conversation, twirling a blonde lock around her finger. Terezi nuzzled Vriska softly and whispered, “what’s up with Karkat?”

Vriska shrugged, “beats me. I think he’s talking to Sollux.” They sighed heavily in unison as Karkat continued yelling and growling into the phone, finally calming down when Feferi spoke into his ear. Until he yelled through to Vriska.

“Go and look out the window at the Megido house and see if Aradia’s there.” Vriska huffed and got up, pushing aside the curtain and looking down the road, towards where Damara Megido lived. She was such a weird girl, not even trying to go to college like everyone else. Vriska was glad her sister was gone when college started up, but now that she was back she was spending more time with Terezi, who spent more time with Karkat.

There was a girl standing in front of Damara, but Vriska couldn’t recognise who it was, at least not from behind. Whoever it was made Damara’s face paler than normal, and it made Kankri shut up too. Soon, Damara had taken the girl’s arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut so hard that Vriska could almost hear the bang.

“Well, there was some girl, but I don’t know who it was.” Vriska called, then chuckled while listening to Karkat berate and yell at Sollux for being delusional, concluding that he would meet them at the cemetery as soon as he found some flowers. With that, the phone was slammed back down on the receiver and Karkat stormed into the lounge, flopping down next to Terezi and groaning.

Terezi looked around, her hand grasping at nothingness until she finally finds Karkat. “You smell like annoyance and anger.” Karkat batted her hand away, glaring up at her creamy eyes. 

“When does he not smell like annoyance and anger?” Vriska asked, leaning against the sofa behind Terezi, nuzzling into her red hair. “Are we going or not? I can’t believe I have to attend that stupid graveside thing.” Vriska and Aradia rarely ever saw eye to eye. Often it was believed Vriska hated Aradia more than anything had ever hated anything else, but Terezi often claimed it was that Vriska was afraid of Aradia.

“We’re going now.” Karkat said, standing up and walking to the door, hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. “I can’t believe he’s gone delusional. Aradia’s dead. She’s probably happier dead.” He passed Terezi her cane and opened the door, being a gentleman for only a minute to let Terezi and Vriska out before he closed the door.

As they were walking along, Vriska leading Terezi, Karkat couldn’t help but quickly run over to kick the beat up car in front of Damara’s house. As soon as he did that, he turned to flip off the house, spitting obscenities about his brother, when he paled at the face standing in the window.

There was no doubt about it. It was Aradia.

“Hey, Shouty McNubbins! You’re supposed to be following me, not beating up an already shitty car!” Vriska yelled, still holding Terezi’s hand. She couldn’t see Aradia from where she was standing.

Karkat just waved them off, “go ahead. I’ll follow soon.”

Aradia was still staring out at him from the window, tears still trailing down her cheeks. It was odd; she still looked seventeen. She even smiled like she used to, all teeth and creepiness. There was a little wave and Karkat couldn’t help but wave back. Was she a ghost? The living dead? Oh, fuck no, please not the living dead. He had to go and see her grave now. Hopefully there wasn’t a large gaping hole there.

Karkat now officially didn’t think Sollux was the delusional one now. He thought he was.

It didn’t take him long to catch up with Terezi and Vriska, skipping the florist and heading straight for the Melody Quartz Cemetery, where Sollux was already standing in front of the heart shaped gravestone that bore Aradia Megido’s name. He ran up to Sollux, hoping against hope that the ground hadn’t been dug up and spread around the cemetery, revealing an empty coffin and proving that Aradia had decided that she had to make others believe in the beauty of death.

Karkat could hear Vriska and Terezi’s complaints as he came to a stop beside Sollux, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the same thing he had seen the year before. A grave covered with grass, and a tombstone with the name, Aradia Megido, a lovely girl, carved on in gold script. Karkat thought he had seen a ghost, or maybe he was just crazy.

Terezi and Vriska came to a stop beside Feferi, Vriska glaring at Karkat. As if he really cared. He looked up at Sollux, his best friend, and draped an arm over his shoulders to comfort his best friend. He had been through a lot these past two years, hadn’t he?

When they had all paid their respects to the grave, Feferi, Vriska and Terezi all left. Sollux turned to Karkat, tears still dripping down his cheeks. So much crying.

“I saw her, KK.” He told him, “she was there. She was staring right at me and FF. I swore she had actual sadness in her eyes.”

“Yeah, you told me.” Karkat assured him, walking beside him to the cemetery gates. “I kind of believe you now.”

Sollux stopped, staring at his best friend in confusion. “What do you mean you kind of believe me?”

Karkat looked sheepish as he looked down at his shoes. “I went to kick Kankri’s car in, and I thought I saw Aradia’s face in the window of her house. She was crying.”

Sollux was silent for a moment, and Karkat thought he was staring at him like he was crazy, but when he looked up, Sollux was gone. He was already halfway down the road. Shaking his head and cursing Sollux, Karkat chased after him, knowing exactly where he was going, and he didn’t want Mr Lisp to make a fool out of himself. Not yet, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update as much as I can before school on Monday.
> 
> I might re-write this later.


	5. The Chapter I cannot name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop! Couldn't come up with a name for this chapter so I'm just going to throw this at you.

Damara’s face was pale. Very pale. Aradia thought she might be sick. She wiped away her tears and reached for her sister. “Damz, are you okay?” Kankri was standing behind her, his eyes big and he looked like he was ready to catch Damara if she fainted.

It was odd to find Kankri answering the door. Aradia thought that Damara hated Kankri, although that didn’t seem the case. He stared at her and Aradia could see in his mind that he was considering slamming the door on her, which would have been very rude indeed.

He asked her in a shaky, non-Kankri voice, “Aradia?” and that confused Aradia a little. It was as if he were unsure that she was Aradia. “Are… Are you crying?”

She shook her head, taking a deep breath, “just go and get Damara please?” Her voice came out strained, but Kankri didn’t seem to move. “Go!”

He looked scared as he ran up the stairs, but Aradia was glad he had listened to her. In a moment, Damara came down swearing.

Then she stopped as if she hadn’t been expecting Aradia there. She stopped for a moment, her face pale as she moved closer to her sister, a manicured hand reaching up to stroke her cheek, her fingers barely tracing her plump cheekbones, as if touching her would make her disappear. After Aradia asked if she were okay, Damara gripped her arm roughly and pulled her inside, slamming the door so hard that their dad would be mad if he found the wood cracked. Aradia was pinned against the wall in a moment, and Damara was staring into her eyes.

Damara didn’t look like Damara. Her hair was blonde and she was wearing a long sleeved shirt. That was not like her sister at all. Her sister would never glare at her as if she didn’t believe that her sister didn’t exist. She glared at her as if she were supposed to be dead. Aradia was a little scared. Maybe she was in trouble for coming home late, even though it was only an hour after midday.

It seemed like Damara saw the fear in Aradia’s eyes, because she crumpled visibly, like paper. Her lips wobbled and her eyes filled with tears. Aradia was drawn into her arms and she had to hold her sister as she sobbed, wailed against her shoulder. It was kind of awkward with Kankri standing behind her, but soon he disappeared into another room. Damara was kind of heavy as Aradia rubbed her back calmingly. “Okay, Damara, that’s enough.”

She was taken to the living room, where more odd things were spotted that worried Aradia. Pictures that were of her had been covered up with some of her father’s velvet handkerchiefs and her archaeology gear was lying on the coffee table. Wasn’t that in her bag before? How did they get her bag?

Damara was sitting across from her, her arms folded in her lap. Who knew where Kankri was. She was watching Aradia carefully, while Aradia studied the objects on the coffee table. “Oh! Here’s my key!” She reached to grab it but Damara swatted her hand away. She sighed and stood up to go towards the window, looking out.

Karkat was there, kicking the shit out of the car there. It’s a shitty car so there’s no need to actually do that, but as he turned to the house, ready to flip it out, he stopped as soon as he saw Aradia. He was shocked. Why does everyone seem so shocked to see Aradia? At least he waved to her before running away. She turned back to Kankri and Damara, watching them as Kankri tried to calm Damara down, patting her back as she cried against his shoulder. They actually looked like a couple. Damara had obviously hidden something from her.

Aradia didn’t feel mad though. Damara was allowed to have secrets.

“Hey, where’s my bag?” She asked, gesturing to the archaeology equipment, “if you have those, then you must know where my bag is.”

Kankri stood up and smiled kindly at Aradia, or did he smile like he thought she was interrupting something? His smile looked more like a sneer. “Aradia, or whoever you are, can’t you see that Damara is a bit distraught by your appearance?”

‘Whoever you are’? What on earth does that even mean? She is Aradia. She opened her mouth to say something back, something that would hopefully sound sassy and not rude when Damara ran out of the room and up the staircase, leaving them behind. Kankri looked like he was about to follow her, but he seemed to be weighing up his options. Finally, he glanced at Aradia with a withering glare.

“Everyone thought you were gone, but it seems that isn’t the case. Are you planning to lead everyone else to death? No wonder everyone is so upset. Death is triggering, Aradia. Why don’t you think about others before suddenly appearing.” Kankri snarked, turning and stalking up the stairs after Damara, leaving Aradia alone and hurt. 

“Well, that was unnecessary…” She mumbled. She was not dead! She was alive, seventeen and alive. And she was hungry, so she wandered to the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. As she was making it (salad and roast beef, delicious.), she saw the calendar, and almost dropped her plate.

It said it was 2014, not 2012. But it seemed to be the same day. It seemed to still be July 14th. Aradia looked over the calendar, switching back and forth between June and August, trying to see if it were a trick, but Damara’s sobbing wasn’t a trick. Neither was the obvious relationship between Sollux and Feferi. The thing that scared Aradia the most though, the one thing that made her a little confused, and a little excited...

The 14th of July had been marked as her death day.

Does that mean she gets to have a corpse party? Had they planned that Aradia was going to die on this day? Aradia wondered if they had planned anything exciting for them to do. Maybe dancing. Maybe they were going to have party hats! Aradia wanted to go and ask Damara about it, ask if she had invited all her friends when there was a knock on the door.

Aradia went to answer the door, only to find Damara there, swearing at Sollux and Karkat, who were asking if Aradia was actually there. “I know she’s alive!” Sollux yelled, tears streaming down his face, “I saw her. Don’t fucking try and tell me that she isn’t. Karkat saw her too.”

Karkat behind him was trying to pull him away, his hand on his arm, “Sollux, I might be delusional. Come on, let’s go back to your house.”

Damara was swearing at Sollux, “just fuck off you lisping fucker! She isn’t alive. She’s fucking gone! She has been for the last two fucking years and clearly, you can’t get over her. Go home to your fish bitch of a girlfriend and leave me the fuck alone!” She slammed the door in their faces, then turned around and stormed up the stairs, Aradia following her, planning to ask her what was going on, yet when she tried to ask, the door was slammed in her face.

Sighing softly, Aradia went to see if she could find Sollux and calm him down, like she used to. He wasn’t out there, and Kankri looked like he was keeping an eye on her. So Aradia decided that she would wait until Kankri had left before visiting Sollux. As calmly as she could, Aradia sat down at her table, eating her sandwich and staring back at Kankri creepily. When he looked away, she smiled. Soon, she would be able to go and see Sollux, and kiss his lispy, lispy face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, next chapter might come tonight, I don't know.


	6. The Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me agesssss to think of this.

Daniel Droog was heartbroken when Aradia had died, to say the least. If he had been able to bring her back to life, there was no doubt that he would. Two years onward, and he still can’t forget his lovely daughter’s smile. He can’t forget her running into his study, excited about Indiana Jones or some shit, and asking him to buy her her first archaeological set.

Remembering things like that always made Droog cry, and sometimes they assaulted him at such random times that he always seems like a big baby. The boys don’t bother him about it though. They know how painful it was for him to lose a girl like Aradia. She was one of the best of the next generation of the Midnight Crew. 

He never looked forward to going home now. Damara was always there, and she was usually drinking, smoking, fucking or all three together. He didn’t like walking in on her talky boyfriend either. He talked more than his younger brother. And his car sucked.

When Droog turned down his street, he was less surprised to see Sollux sitting in front of his driveway, so instead of running him over like he wanted to, he parked in front of the driveway and got out. He glared down at the skinny boy, tempted to kick his face in. He decided to settle for a growl that would have sent chills down anyones spine.

“Boy,” he growled, leaning down to face him, “what do you think you’re doing?” He knew Sollux as Aradia had always brought him over, and kissed him in front of his face. He’s wanted to throw this boy out on his ass ever since he first kissed Aradia.

Sollux opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again and shrugged. “I don’t know, Mr. Droog.”

Droog stood up straight and pulled his suit jacket straight, “then leave.” He got back into his car and drove it into the driveway once Sollux moved. He waited for Sollux to start walking home before grabbing his things and going inside. He could hear Damara upstairs with her talky boyfriend, so he decided to block it out. He hung his hat up on a hook and ran a scarred hand through his black hair, turning into the living room and stopping.

Aradia was sitting on the sofa, reading.

He dropped his things and stared, slack-jawed at his seemingly resurrected daughter. She heard his files drop and jerked her head toward him, brown locks swinging, then she smiled widely, jumping up and running to him, her arms wrapping around his middle as she gave him one of her best hugs ever. “Welcome home, dad.”

He was confused, at best. However, he returned the hug, an arm around her waist and a hand in her hair, and was just glad for the contact. He could smell a fresh field in her hair, and he didn’t want to let her go. Soon, however, she went to sit down on the couch, leaving Droog utterly confused. His daughter was… Alive. Why was she alive? This was some weird sci-fi shit, that’s for sure.

He glanced out the window and saw Sollux standing out there. Deciding he didn’t need to see Aradia, considering it could mess him up, he opened up the window and yelled for him to scram! He chuckled as Sollux scurried down the road, then turned to Aradia. He could ask her why she wasn’t dead, or he could just act like it’s all normal and tell Aradia about his day, and ask her about hers.

He decided on the latter. So he sat down next to Aradia and asked her how her day was.

“Oh! It was pretty good.” She smiled, leaning against him as she read the news. “Everyone keeps saying I was dead, but I don’t believe them. Why aren’t we having a corpse party if I were dead?” 

Droog didn’t have an answer for that, “how about we go and get you a cake tomorrow.One in the shape of a skull.” 

“That’s such a good idea, dad!” Aradia grinned, looking up at him, then she frowned, cupping his face in a hand, “you look so old, dad… What happened at work today?”

“Nothing, sweetheart,” He told her, “just having to yell at idiots all the time.” She giggled and leaned back against him. They kept talking all night, Droog gladly enjoying the nostalgic feeling he was getting from this girl. When she fell asleep though, he slid out from under her and kissed her forehead, “good night, darling.” 

When he looked down the street, he wondered if Sollux knew Aradia was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short >:( I was tired.


	7. The Truth

In the morning, the issue of Aradia was addressed, only Aradia didn’t know she was an issue. She only heard her father, looking as nervous and angry as he usually is, and Damara, unusually stressed, arguing in the hallway. Damara was yelling in her usual Japanese that Aradia refused to understand, and her father spoke in a low, serious voice.

“We can’t just _tell_ her she was dead!” Damara screeched in Japanese. Whatever she had said, Aradia didn’t even feel horrified. Damara usually yelled at their father like that. Her father’s calm mumblings made Aradia smile. It was comforting.

Ducking past them, Aradia went into the living room and started pulling the velvet handkerchiefs of each picture of her. There was one of her in her little excavation site at the back of her house, at her middle school graduation, junior prom with Sollux. She noticed her smile get wider (and creepier) as she got older, and it made Aradia smile slightly despite herself. 

She was standing over her fireplace when she noticed a small, brown envelope wedged behind one of the photo frames. Carefully, so not to disturb the photo, Aradia pulled out the envelope and placed it on the coffee table. Her name was written on it in a handwriting she didn’t recognise, along with a date that didn’t seem to have any kind of significance. She was curious though, so she opened it.

She almost screamed when she pulled out the first glossy picture. It was a bloody scene, with tyremarks marking the blood spattered around like a messy artist’s apron. It was a road, and there was a body in the middle of the road, blood staining her clothes and hair, and this was what made Aradia want to scream, despite herself. The body was her. She had been killed. Why would someone keep something like this?

She pulled out more photos, and wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to stop herself from screaming from the pain that threatened to attack her from the memory. She could feel her bones snapping and her head crashing against the pavement and oh the pain the pain… The pain suddenly subsided, and Aradia knew that that was the moment she had died. Tears were blurring her vision and she was still staring down at the pictures. She screamed.

Damara and Droog both came running and were stunned to see Aradia looking over her pictures, crying over her horrific death. Quickly, Damara started comforting Aradia, rubbing her shoulders and helping her stand up, then sitting her on a sofa. Droog scooped all the photos into the envelope, sealed it up again and threw it to the side. He sat across from Aradia and made Damara leave. He signaled for her to call someone, but Aradia didn’t know who.

Once Damara was gone, though, was when Droog started talking. 

He explained to her that she had been dead for two years. That everyone missed her. That she probably couldn’t go outside until everyone knew she was alive, and that they were okay with it. Aradia was feeling annoyed and… sad. She couldn’t go and see Sollux, but they were still going to tell him that Aradia was alive. They were going to ask him to visit her so she didn’t get lonely while Damara and Droog went to work.

Aradia stood up slowly and pushed everything, breakable and unbreakable, onto the floor off the coffee table. She went out the backyard and kicked things around, a way to cure both boredom and anger. She was also in her destructive mood, so that helped a lot. She kept getting angrier and angrier as she kept kicking pots around, and soon she sat down in the dirt, and put her head in her hands.

She should be happy. Death had been one of the many things in her life that she believed was good. No doubt all her friends thought she had committed suicide, which she hadn’t. It was all an accident. A horrible, disastrous accident. She cried softly, and didn’t even move when someone tapped her shoulder gently.

She felt someone drop to the dirt beside her, and wrap their arms around her. It was only when he asked her name did she look up. He was smiling down at her with tears in his eyes. She couldn’t help but smile back.

Sollux Captor placed a soft kiss on Aradia’s forehead and whispered, “I missed you, AA.”

Aradia blushed softly, draping her arms on Sollux’s shoulders. She wanted to kiss him. She was going to kiss him, but she remembered him and Feferi, and knew she shouldn’t. Instead she hugged him tight and pressed her face into his neck, letting him hold her.

“I didn’t even know I was dead, Sollux.” She whispered, and she swore she could hear both their hearts break.


	8. The Next Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop, okay, procrastination over. I got sick and decided to crank this out. It's probably terrible, but I will try to update sooner.

Sollux held Aradia close to him, letting her cry into his shoulder, feeling her tears dampen his shirt. "Shhh... It's okay, AA. It's okay. There's nothing wrong."

He knew he had seen her. It hadn't been a hoax as Damara had made it seem. Karkat believed him and so now here he is. Holding his darling girlfriend who he had missed and loved so much and... What was he going to tell Feferi? His arms instinctively wrapped tighter around Aradia, who was clutching onto his terrible graphic t-shirt, small, choked sobs filling the warm summer's day. Feferi, who had been with him through thick and thin, helping him get over having to live with her dying. Feferi loved him.

After a while, he helped Aradia into her home, and sat her at the table, holding her hand in his. Her father had just gone out to work, and Damara was up in her bedroom. Kankri hadn't come to visit yet. Sollux was kind of thankful. He could be an even bigger handful than his _little_ brother. Aradia was hovering around the kitchen, making breakfast. Her hair was flipped over her shoulder as she collected eggs from their carton and turned on the stove, grabbing a couple of plates and bacon. He couldn't help but yearn for her. He wanted everything to be normal, for everything to seem normal. But this definitely was not normal.

Aradia was supposed to be dead, but here she is. Breathing, humming, skipping around the kitchen. Something was a little off about her mood but that definitely could not be helped. She had just found out that she had been dead for two years, for goodness sake. "Sollux, do you want bacon?" 

Her question threw him off a little bit. Her voice wasn't as hollow as it used to be. He nodded a little, muttering a lispy 'yeth' and returning to his thoughts while Aradia cooked. When she was done, they ate together, and it felt kind of like it used to, before everything started going wrong. Before Aradia died. Before Mituna hit his head in a skateboarding accident.

"How is Mituna?" Aradia asked, cleaning the dishes when she was finished. Sollux had finally moved from his seat and he was drying them for her. Despite all the money her father had, he refused to buy a dishwasher. He claimed that they did 'a half-arsed job of the dishes.'

Sollux sighed through his nose and shrugged, "he's... okay, I suppose..." He had hesitated between words and he knew that Aradia was smart enough to pick up on that, or at least she usually was, but she didn't push it. She just nodded like she understood.

"And... Feferi?" She mumbled, Sollux barely being able to hear her voice. "I saw you two walking around yesterday. I was confused until I figured it out..." She looked up at him with her brown eyes, making Sollux blush like he was sixteen again. Sixteen was three years ago.

"We... We were going to your grave." He admitted, not looking at her as he put the dishes away. "We had been ever since you had died."

The sound Aradia made when he mentioned the word 'died' was not one of pleasure like he had hoped. It sounded more like she was choked to have died and then come back to life. "I don't understand," she choked, holding onto the side of the counter, "if I were dead, how am I still here now? Maybe I was just asleep and this is all a big joke. Just because I believed death was okay doesn't mean I wanted to be dead myself. I can't even feel the pain I was supposed to have felt!" 

Sollux draped a skinny arm over her shoulders and placed his chin on top of her head, "it's okay, AA. I've already told you that."

"But I need answers," she whispered, an arm curling around his waist as she leaned into his touch. Sollux swallowed a gulp. 

"And we will get those answers," he told her, hoping she would be reassured. "Maybe we should just discuss what you missed while you were... Gone." 

He took her hand and led her to the living room so that she would have a comfortable seat while he told her everything that had happened in the past two years. There was so much to tell, about Tavros and Gamzee, and Vriska and Terezi, and Kanaya and Rose, and Damara and Kankri, and Mituna and Latula. And about their old school, what all their friends were studying, birthdays, drama, disasters. Everything.

And when he was done, Aradia felt like she had never even left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'll be having Feferi and Karkat in the next chapter, probably the start of our Fefkat. If you have any ideas or reasons as to why Aradia is alive, it would be nice if you shared! Love, Mini-Megido.
> 
> mini-megido.tumblr.com


	9. Another New Chapter (because screw keeping the titles.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahahahhaahhaah I took waaaay too long to write this.

He stalked down the streets with his hands in his pockets, hunched over and wearing a dark sweater. Classic Karkat. It was the middle of summer and the heat was sweltering, and he still wanted that sweater. He kicked a stone and glanced up the street towards the Megido house, glad to see his brother's car was no longer there. What a piece of shit it was. Karkat took a deep breath and stopped, standing up straight for a second and looking around the street. Terezi and Vriska were back at their house, and they had sent him out to get God-knows-what. They just wanted space to do _other_ things... And that didn't include him.

His hair was a mess, and the old ladies across the road were making it obvious that they were staring at him in disgust even though they were trying to keep it secret. Karkat glared and bore his teeth at them, making them squawk and scurry off. They were probably muttering about how he was some hippie that needed a haircut when really, it just needed a good comb. He rolled his eyes and continued on his way down the road.

His tracks came to a halt when the front door of the Megido house opened and slammed shut. When he looked, Mr. Droog was standing there, watching him. He nodded to Karkat, who nodded back. They just had some sort of respect for each other, and one thing in common: neither of them liked his brother. Droog went down to his car and pulled out of the driveway, and then he was gone. Karkat deeply respected the man, always working hard to keep his eldest daughter happy, even after his youngest daughter had died horrendously...

Speaking of his youngest, Karkat looked up to where he had seen her the day before. He had sworn that she had been there, like a ghost. She even smiled sort of like she used to, although it seemed hollower than normal. Then again, Aradia had always been a little odd. Probably what attracted Sollux to her. Karkat shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, he looked into the Megido house, into their living room.

And he almost had a heart attack.

There, in the living room, was Aradia. And Sollux. They were dancing, probably to some Lana Del Rey song that Aradia loved. A little depressing considering it seemed that the girl had come back to life only recently and it sounded like they were singing to 'Born To Die.' Karkat just stared, as Aradia spun around in Sollux's arms and Sollux pulled her close to him. His chin was on her head, and he was smiling. Karkat was almost happy for him.

Almost, but that was ruined when Feferi turned up by his side. Karkat almost jumped into the air, but luckily, having been a cat in his previous life, he could land on his feet. He made himself stand in front of Feferi's view of the house so that she couldn't see her lovely boyfriend with his former girlfriend. It was somewhat hard when Feferi was taller than him, but her purple eyes were focused on him, as was her heart-warming smile.

"Hiya Karcrab!" She squeaked, clamping her (strong) hands on his shoulders. Karkat almost sunk to his knees, "water you doing out so early? I thought that maybe you might be still asleep. I'm SHORE the day isn't something you enjoy." 

Karkat scowled at her for a second, then placed his own hands on her shoulders. God, her fish puns were annoying, but they were adorable too. "Yeah well I decided to get some fresh air. Living with two girls who like to copulate 24/7 doesn't give off a fresh atmosphere."

Feferi nodded as if she understood, then she pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest, then leaned towards Karkat so that their faces were almost parallel, "do you know where Sollux is? He left earlier this morning, and he wouldn't tell me where he was going. I'm a little worried."

Pursing his lips, Karkat shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Aradia's house. He could see Sollux, but not Aradia. "I don't really know where the ass--"

"Oh!" Feferi interuppted him, pointing up at the house. "There he is! What's he doing, visiting Damara? He probably should have done that yesterday... Then again, he was quite upset about Aradia..." Feferi bit her lip and her eyes went wide like saucers, tears bunching up at the corners. Karkat was scared she was going to start sobbing in the middle of the street over her best friend's death. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep, shuddering breath, and he was tempted to pull her into a hug. He was sure she hadn't taken Aradia's death as well as she had claimed.

"Anywho, I suppose I shoald get Sollux to come home and have breakfast or brunch or something." Feferi smiled, then skipped past Karkat, her skirt flouncing around her hips. She went to knock on the door, and Karkat couldn't help but follow. He didn't want to see such a pretty girl burst into tears over an asshole like Sollux. He was hunched over as Feferi rapped on the door and waited for Damara to answer, humming some bubblegum-sweet tune to herself.

When the door opened despite lispy protests, it was Aradia. Karkat was staring, Feferi was staring, and Sollux was staring at the two at the door. Aradia was the only one not staring, instead smiling widely at Feferi and Karkat in her oddly creepy way. 

Karkat was the first of the three to stop staring and regain his composure, checking Feferi's expression for tears. She wasn't crying, just shocked with her mouth wide. Sollux followed Karkat's example and nudged Aradia out of the way, taking Feferi's hand and pulling her inside, then gesturing for Karkat to follow. After he had shut the door, Feferi was seated next to Aradia, and Karkat preferred to stay standing. Apparently Damara was out with an Ampora or something, so no one was really bothered about her.

After a few moments of silence, Aradia took Feferi's hands and smiled at her, then whispered, "I'm so happy that you came to see me, Feferi."

And with those words, Feferi fell apart. She slumped against Aradia and held her tight, wailing in a way reminiscent of a strangled cat. It was unusual to see a pretty girl cry like that. Aradia held her tight and stroked her hair, looking sad. Sollux looked away, and Karkat knew why. Mr Lispy Asshole was feeling guilty, probably.

As Feferi continued her gross sobbing, Karkat crossed his arms and sighed exasperatedly. Sure, it was all very sad and emotional that Aradia was back. He had never even been that close to her in the first place. If anything, Karkat Vantas only wanted answers. Why on earth would a girl that had died two years before quite obviously suddenly show up? It just didn't make any sense. But he intended to make it make sense. There had to be a reason. Nothing like this would happen on coincidence. Maybe there was foul play involved that was trying to get all of them killed.

Karkat couldn't help being paranoid about Aradia Megido. She just made everyone paranoid, considering her love of death. Some people had thought she had actually killed herself that day even when everyone knew better. But now, no one knew. Why would she just come back if she loved being dead? Someone brought her back to life, and for some reason.

But who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might finish it soon, I don't know. Stuff might go down next chapter. People are gonna be like, 'omg what' and yeah. SURPRISES.


	10. Authors Note

Hiya everyone! Mini-Megido here!

Unfortunately I might not be able to update until the end of the year. I know you all are probably kind of upset but with the end of school fast approaching I just kind of got to do it. If you're lucky, I might update sooner, if I have any motivation, chocolate and a plan. Oh, and time. That's important too.

My first fanfic is almost finished and I am sort of sad. There's only three chapters left and a lot of shit is gonna go down. Thank you to all who read this when I first began it, and who are just reading it now.

Don't think this is going to be my only fanfic though! I have a few planned, including AraFef, more Solradia and maybe even a DaveJade! Who knows, maybe I'll continue On High Seas and Low Shores! (If I can motivate myself to get off my arse.)

I will take fanfic requests though. It's always nice to be challenged. If you have a request then send me an ask on mini-megido.tumblr.com and I will write it. I promise. I'll put up what kinds of suggestions though. (There are some ships that I might not write, unless you ask super nicely and offer me internet chocolate as payment. Joking.)

Until the next update, I hope you enjoyed I Thought You Were Gone!


	11. I Am In The Swing of Things (see what I did there?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See what I did with the chapter title there? It's a modification of a line in the song Still Sane by Lorde. Anyways I am back after forever!

Daniel Droog was less than impressed to find two extra unapproved teenagers in his living room with his supposed to be dead teenage daughter and his supposed to be working older daughter. Aradia was chattering happily with her friends over a game of _Trivial Pursuit_ while Damara stared in shock at how happy she seemed just to be around them. She had only just found out she had been dead, and was gladly playing a game with her friends that were definitely shocked too, but they didn’t show it.

Karkat, Kankri’s angry little brother, seemed to be confused over something. Over what, everyone was sure it was Aradia’s sudden appearance, rosy-cheeked and bright eyed and ready to go on another one of her crazy adventures.

“Oh, remember when we were twelve, Sollux, and I fell and broke my leg climbing that tree?” She asked brightly, wanting something to reminisce over other than her obviously ended relationship with Sollux Captor, a nerd with an attitude that seemed to be missing, and he seemed like he was sick.

The only girl that was willing to match Aradia’s enthusiasm was Feferi. After getting over the sudden shock that her best friend was alive again, she was more than willing to play a game of _Trivial Pursuit_ with her. They were cheering each other on as they made their moves and answered questions only Rose Lalonde would know the answer to with the silliest answers they could come up with, while Karkat, Sollux and Damara watched on.

Droog hung up his hat and coat, and watched the teenagers with a cold stare. Now this was definitely going to get out that the Megidos were more than odd, they were abnormal, with daughters coming to life and having to bribe young preachers with money to keep them quiet. Slick was lucky Droog didn’t just outright kill the boy.

“Alright, enough.” Droog announced after a few more moments of Feferi and Aradia teasing Sollux for getting a computer question wrong. It clearly wasn’t the young man’s day and he looked up to Droog gratefully for ending the torment. “Peixes, Vantas, I hope you don’t plan on selling Aradia out. It’s not going to be a good ending for either of you if you do.”

Feferi and Karkat stood up slowly, as if only just noticing Mr. Droog arriving to tell them off. “We won’t, Sir, we promise!” Feferi squeaked, smiling widely, almost forcedly.

“Can they stay a little longer, Dad?” Aradia pleaded, looking up at him with wide brown eyes. She spoke as if she were a five-year-old again, who was always wanting her friends to come over despite the fact that her room wasn’t clean and Droog was one of those parents who made sure everywhere was clean before visitors arrived.

Damara smiled tightly at her father and went into the kitchen and out to the patio. He knew that soon their house was going to be smelling of illegal substances, but that was the last of his worries. He looked down at Aradia and crossed his arms, then he changed his mind and ran his fingers through his slicked back hair. He seemed stressed and worried. Finally, he relented.

“Alright. They can stay for dinner.” He hid his smile when Aradia jumped for joy and went to hug Feferi, Karkat (who tried to pull away quickly) and Sollux, who held her with a lingering squeeze. The look Feferi gave them wasn’t one of sadness, or even jealousy. She just seemed happy. She smiled at Karkat who gave her a look of utter disbelief, as if he was asking, ‘why aren’t you taking your man away from her?’

After a few moments, Aradia pulled away and looked around at all of them. “We should have a sleepover! All of us, like when we were little. Doesn’t that sound good?” They all had to agree; they didn’t want Aradia getting sad, otherwise their image of being able to see a much loved person might disappear before their eyes.

So it was decided. They were all going to order pizza and sleep in the living room, and play games all night. Aradia was excited. Damara stayed outside, not wishing to participate in the fun that shouldn’t even be there.

Even though they still weren’t allowed alcohol because Aradia was still technically seventeen and against alcohol, they still managed to have a good time. They still had a good time even if Droog was breathing down their necks and making sure they didn’t do anything questionable. He made sure to pull Aradia and Sollux away from each other to make sure they didn’t even touch.

But when he finally went to bed, (‘I can’t stay up all night to make sure you idiots don’t do anything.’) it was when they considered the fun began. Feferi, Sollux and Aradia were whispering quietly to each other while Karkat brooded in the background. After a few moments of complete silence from someone who was just as chatty as his own brother, Karkat finally exploded into talking in a hushed tone, trying not to awaken Aradia’s father.

“I can’t believe you are both acting like this is fucking normal.” He whispered, gesturing to Feferi and Sollux. “Aradia’s brain was squashed all over the pavement, it was still there when we went by the next day, and she’s suddenly here? Don’t you think this is just fucking weird? It’s fucked up, and Sollux is fucked up for hugging a dead girl and still finding her attractive! He has a perfectly good girlfriend that isn’t dead and doesn’t seem like she should have a cracked skull with maggots crawling out of the cracks. I don’t know about you assholes, but I’m going home before this all becomes the night of the living fucking dead.” 

Karkat made to get up, but then he saw Aradia’s face. She was staring at him with wide eyes, but she wasn’t crying. She was shocked. She stood up slowly and looked the grumpy little man in his eyes, and tilted her head. “Karkat… I’m sorry that I pulled you into this.”

"Sorry?" Karkat spluttered, eyes wide and in disbelief. "You're _sorry?_ I never thought that stupid ghost girl would be able to feel _sorry_ about anything. That's what you've got to be. A fucking creepy ghost and this is some weird ass trick your psycho-bitch sister put together."

Aradia raised her eyebrows and stared at him. Her eyes were big and she crossed her arms. She could have defended herself against being a ghost. She could have defended herself, but she didn't. "Don't you dare call my sister a psycho bitch. At least she doesn't talk people's ears off with a grating voice." 

Karkat rolled his eyes and huffed softly. "Yeah so my brother has his bad points. So does your sister. But that's not what we're supposed to be discussing here." He jabbed Aradia's chest, making her step back against Sollux, who held Aradia tight.

"Why are you here? Why aren't you six feet under? Jesus, everyone knows it was Sollux's older brother that hit you with his car and he didn't get arrested even though he should have been. These are the real fucking questions that need to be answered!" Karkat scowled at them, and took a deep breath to say something else, then he felt Feferi's hand on his arm, felt her gripping her nails into his shirt. Damara and Droog were standing in the doorway, having been awoken by Karkat's rant. They were both pale as sheets, but when what Karkat had said had registered with Droog, he was red in the face and his jaw locked.

The man turned to Sollux, who had turned whiter than Aradia. He pointed a thin, knifelike finger at him, shaking slightly and whispering, "don't you touch my daughter. Get away from her." He grabbed Aradia's shoulders, and although she tried to resist, he was much stronger than her. He held her tight against his chest, crying softly. Aradia hugged him tighter, trying to make him calm down.

Sollux was staring in disbelief, and when he stepped closer to Aradia, she was pulled further away from him. Feferi could tell that Sollux wasn't going to take this well. To have the girl he truly loved be taken away from him like that, and her killer to have been revealed to be his own brother, she didn't think that anyone could ever get over that.

If only Karkat hadn't opened his big mouth.

Feferi picked up her bag and took Karkat by his sleeve, and she grabbed Sollux's hand tight. "Come on. Let's go." She smiled tight lipped at her boyfriend, deciding that maybe they should have a talk about their relationship. 

Before they made it to the door, Sollux pulled away briefly to try and get a look at Aradia. "AA, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

Only Damara saw his disheartened look when Aradia didn't answer him. Droog was smothering her like a parent who had held back his grieving for too long. She couldn't answer since she didn't want to upset him.

Finally, Feferi pulled Sollux and Karkat out into the night, back to their home to make decisions. They could only hope they could see Aradia again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter! I changed what the ending was originally going to be in order for me to finish this off since I have another idea for fanfiction, which I should finish these holidays. Thanks for reading! If the formatting is weird I might fix it later. I don't have access to a computer yet!


	12. Final Chapter

The next day, Sollux was standing outside Aradia's house, and Droog was standing in the doorway, watching the boy. His eyes were narrowed and he wasn’t moving from where he was standing, regardless of possibly being late for work. Damara was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder at Sollux. It seemed to be a stare-off.

Aradia was looking down from her bedroom, sighing sadly. If only her father would go to work. If only Sollux would leave. It seemed that neither of them wanted to. She opened the window and leaned out, looking down on them. It was so high… Was her room always this high off the ground? She could try and fly from there.

Sollux looked up as he heard the window click, and he smiled a little. Droog looked up too, and scowled. “Aradia, go back inside. You might fall.”

She rolled her eyes and let a little smirk creep up on her face, but let it fall when she saw Sollux’s own smile fade and his skin turn pale. “Go inside AA… What if you do fall?”

Aradia crossed her arms and scoffed, “I won’t fall. I’m not _that_ accident prone, now.” Her scowl faded and she looked concerned, “Sollux, it’s early and Feferi’s probably worried about you. I think you should go home.”

“That’s a brilliant idea, Aradia.” Droog growled, stepping out of the doorway and storming towards Sollux. He grabbed the boy’s shoulders and turned him around. “Off you go now, go home to your girlfriend. I’m sure she loves you just as much as Aradia does.”

When Aradia’s dad was in the car and driving down the street, Sollux’s shoulders slumped and he seemed upset. She felt pity on him. Maybe he just didn’t want to go home. After all, knowing your ex-girlfriend is alive now and you can’t see her would make anyone sad. She rested her chin on her arms and looked down on him, taking a deep, heaving breath.

Sollux looked up at her and smiled a little, then he turned to look at her. He made a love heart shape with his hands and his face turned red. She giggled, returning the love heart gesture and feeling her face heat up. He was such an adorable dork.

Then Damara was out on the front lawn, with the hose in her hand, and she was spraying Sollux. Aradia couldn’t help but laugh along with her sister as he ran down the street with Damara shouting after him, “yeah, you better run you bastard!”

Aradia shut the windows of her room and went to have a shower.

\-------

Later that day, Sollux returned. Aradia had just finished her lunch and Kankri had come over. He was tutoring Damara on how to write an essay. After all these years, Damara was still behind in school. It wasn’t really a surprise if Aradia thought about it. It was a little boring to hear Kankri talk on and on about the structure of an essay, so she looked out the window to see if there was anything exciting going on outside. If only she wasn’t stuck in this--

Hey, Karkat’s beating up Kankri’s car again. She stood up and sat at the window, looking out and giggling quietly with every kick Karkat launched at Kankri’s car. It was oddly satisfying. Sollux was just staring lamely at the wreck, and occasionally glancing towards the house, as if yearning for the girl that lived inside.

Glancing back at Damara and Kankri, and deciding that they probably wouldn’t notice that she was gone, she snuck off the sofa and over to the door, slipping on her shoes and opening the door slowly. It was the most painful moment of her life, besides the moment where she was hit by that car, but then again, she didn’t even feel that. The click of the door seemed so loud that she was scared that Damara would come running and make her go up to her room.

But Damara didn’t notice. Thank goodness that Kankri’s voice was so loud that it drowned everything else out. She darted out of the house and shut the door, running straight to Sollux and wrapping her arms around his waist.

Sollux jumped and almost struck Aradia with his elbow, but soon he realised who it was and he turned around to hug her tight. Even though they were only separated for a few hours, it felt nice to hold her yet again.

Karkat didn’t notice. He was too busy taking his rage out on Kankri’s car. He must have been extra angry today.

Aradia looked over Sollux’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “let’s go,” then she took his hand and started pulling him away from her house.

It felt nice to be a little free for a bit. They talked about nothing. They just held hands and walked, happy for each other’s company.

“Why is Karkat so angry?” Aradia asked, wondering why he had to take all his rage out on a car. It must have been bad.

“My fault.” Sollux mumbled, shuffling his feet. “I broke up with Feferi last night, and he was annoyed. He still believes you’re a figment of everyone’s imagination.”

“I can’t be though.” Aradia pouted, “I have my own feelings and thoughts. It’s not like I’m totally not here.”

Sollux wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “I know you do, AA.”

She sighed loudly and rested her head on his shoulder and looked up the street. They had walked a long way; they were almost at the cemetery. They stopped, and Aradia felt Sollux’s grip tighten on her, and she felt shivers crawl up her spine.

“Maybe we should go.” He whispered, “you don’t want to be here.”

“I…” Aradia began, then she threw her shoulders back and stood up straighter, “I think I do actually.”

Sollux turned to her and raised an eyebrow, “what do you mean you think you do?”

“Well, won’t it be interesting?” She asked, “not many people ever have the chance to see their gravestone, so it’ll be a great experience!” She beamed at him, and Sollux gave her the most confused look ever.

She huffed and took his hand, “just come on.”

They ran into the graveyard and Aradia was looking around. All these gravestones were familiar to her; she used to visit them to pay her respects. Sollux made her stop after a while and he pointed. She turned to look at it, and she swallowed and took a deep breath.

It was so weird to be able to see it. She knelt down in front of the gravestone and ran her fingers over her engraved name. It made her feel a little sad, especially as she read through the inscription.

_Here lies Aradia Daniella Megido._   
_The most wonderful, beautiful and lively young woman to exist._   
_A girlfriend, sister and daughter who will be missed._   
_30th March 1996 - 22nd June 2012_

Sollux was crying now, and Aradia stood up and hugged him. It must have been hard. She wished she could comfort him more than what she was doing. When he finally stopped crying, Aradia glanced back at the tombstone and smiled a little.

At least she gets a second chance at life. That’s all she could ask for. That’s all she was thankful for. That, and that she could see Sollux again. 

They left the graveyard and went home to wait for Daniel Droog to plead their case of letting Aradia see Sollux again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes I Thought You Were Gone! This was really just a practice fanfic so I can get a feel of writing the characters. Hopefully the next fanfic will be longer and more detailed.


End file.
